Leonard McCoy

That's going to be a tough search...

Summer is almost upon us. It's getting hot and dry out there, and so is your throat when inhaling between phrases during singing. Though counterintuitive, avoid drinking any water, tea, or alcoholic beverages. Here are the top three things to really help you out (in this order): 1. Pineapple juice (one glass alone carries you through a whole set) 2. Strawberry juice 3. Honey (raw, not mixed in tea or something)

Add a lifting bridge to your list of issues.

I've already seen some on Reverb. Some of the Gibson stock photos on their site are also incorrect, as they show prototypes rather than the actual product.

Not really. You got pictures?

I'd take any deal leading to a J-185/180. The only downside is you don't need another guitar after that.

Any kind of repair work impacts the resale value if it's badly done or otherwise bothersome or noticable to the buyer. What kind of strong woodworking glue is used (be it hide glue, fish glue, or aliphatic resin glue like Titebond) is almost irrelevant as long as the glue-up job is done professionally and right.

A new guitar tab and something a little different: The Wind East and West (2007 version) This song first debuted in 2006 in Abu Dhabi on national television in a much different form, with Arabic-English verses and a much more complex song structure including a chorus section. But perhaps the most famous reincarnation of the song is a medley with “The Wind” as opener for Yusuf’s Cafe Session concert in 2007, with a hauntingly beautiful vocal performance by Yusuf. The song is also meant as direct follow-up to “The Wind,” and to be understood in its most symbolic reading, with the wind meaning spirit or Holy Spirit. It also tells the rare story of the artist having seen both worlds, the East and the West. Since chord changes happen on the upbeat, timing your vocals to your guitar playing can be difficult.

Sure thing; size-wise you're already big ways in the big guitar category with those two. Sound-wise is a whole different horse, though, given that Gibson guitars are heavily mid-ranged focused unlike Martin.

Whether you can handle bigger guitars really depends on your overall build, arm length, and, to an extend, technique (mostly arm and hand posture). I would argue that if you can handle a J-45, you should be good with a J-200 as well. I much prefer more compact jumbo guitars like the J-185/180, but I would never kick a J-200 off the bed's edge, either.

It's as difficult as always for any retailer outside the US to get ahold of Gibson re: availability (they are extremely busy), but we'll get there eventually. I'd love to have at least one guitar more permanently tuned to Open E.

A new guitar tab: Moonstone (1967) The classical influences in this almost Middle Eastern fiction, which is similar to the tale of Aladdin’s lamp, are felt the clearest in the intro. Cat was having fun with lyrics and storylines at the time. That he lived right around the corner of the British Museum certainly had some influence here. The song is very upbeat and has the prescribed Decca Big Band sound new for the time, but Cat’s composition and, to an extend, the song structure are actually more complex beneath the surface. The key change in the second chorus heightens suspense, and the song ends on a drawn-out outro. We have tried to adapt the song to a playing style on guitar that would mirror Cat’s in theory.

That's just crazy talk.

You're probably right. It's just that Gibson's vintage sunburst is insanely good-looking on those slope-shoulder models. I've inquired with the dealer who in turn gets in touch with Gibson how long the waiting time would turn out to be. I would probably not be unhappy with antique natural either (I do prefer J-200s in that color).

Thinking about picking one up. A blonde one (antique natural finish) is available here but I'm really unsure about the color. The top looks superb, very evenly grained. Vintage sunburst is a much safer bet since I am into that color scheme, but I'm not sure I can get one here (as a lefty) in the foreseeable future.

How to relic an acoustic? If anyone could answer that question, they surely wouldn't—or at least not here—but start their own business doing it considering that how to relic an electric is still in its infancy, making an awful lot of money already, and the very few that can relic don't always succeed.

I can tell you the cause of that: someone somewhere played that guitar with his keys still in his pocket causing the impression in the lacquer and wood.

Beautiful guitar, though a cutaway is not my thing. Look out for the usual suspects when buying used. Not much more to say than that. Very comfortable body shape. These 185EC usually go for less than they are worth.

Not a crack. It's an impression in the lacquer.

All Gibson models are mids-focused. That's their big selling point; that's the classic Gibson acoustic sound we have so come to love. The J-200 is a loud, big guitar, but it is not excessively boomy. The maple adds a bunch of compression to the sound, stiffens things up in terms of bass response, and adds a lot of sparkle to the treble. The bass is, however, never overpowering and the treble never excessively sparkly. These guitars were designed to strum and sing songs to. They never get in the way of your voice. They play loudly so that they can get heard from far away. They also make awesome fingerstyle guitars. Particularly with fleshy fingers, you get a cool sounding blues fingerstyle. They are a sort-of do-it-all guitars with fantastic string balance.

The joke doesn't escape me, but it was spun in such a way that it became a falsehood. If we stuck to the truth more, perhaps there wouldn't be so many falsehoods.

Nobody says that, and it's not a thing.

In this shot you are referring to the nut looks perfectly fine (disregarding whatever the whitish lines on the high E side of the fretboard kissing the nut are). In fact, it looks better than the nut of my Custom Shop J-180 probably because this one here was hand-fitted and set up extra for him. The strings are not burrowed in some deep string slots either, so I don't expect any binding issue here. The meat of the back of the nut has also been filed off and polished smooth and the string slot height seems to be set up low for easy first-frets playing.

It sounds fantastic.

Finally someone man-handling a J-45 on a promo video. I like his bold attack, though I don't know anything about him as a musician. His signature model's features are quite desirable, I find. I love me a round 50's style neck, too, even on my electrics. It gives the guitar a certain feel and relaxes your fretting hand because there is no gap when grabbing between your hand and the neck.